Nightswim

That night, I had some very weird dreams. They were all blurry and loud- and I woke up in a sweat. I think I might have been screaming, but since mom and dad didn't come into my room, I guess I didn't. I put on some clothes and tried to find Tubby- but he wasn't around. He was acting strange, like I said. I hoped he hadn't run away.

I walked around and soon it became clear to me of another change; I had always had poor vision at night- dreaded the day my mom finally made me glasses- but that night, I found I could see pretty damn well. Everything and anything. I could read billboards and signs from over a hundred yards away. I could see the animals creeping around in and under the trees. My hearing seemed to be a lot better, too- I could hear those same animals crunching through the foliage. I felt great. I wanted to do something- I was shaking with energy.

I wandered down a familiar path and came up to the trailer that Mr. Hoddy had converted into a beer joint- that's what my mom called it. I stayed out there for a while. I'm not sure why. I just hung outside passing the time. A few people stumbled out- some alone, some in pairs and once a threesome. A few people pulled up in the gravel lot and went in. Then I saw him. Mr. Ketton. Old Mr. Ketton. Lindsey Ketton's drunken violent father.

Everyone knew him. He had come home from the war, a druggie and alcoholic. Lindsey loved him, though. Loved him to death- despite the fact he killed her mother. They were living together and there were several episodes that drew the sheriff out to their trailer. But it was always the same- she would just say she fell down, or hurt herself in some accident- and they would go away, until the next time. But then, one night, the police showed up and she was bleeding to death- said she cut her arm making diner- Mr. Ketton was drunk in the living room, silent- for a change. She bled badly and the sheriff convinced her to go to the hospital. It was there that an infection set in and in a week, she was dead. The official report listed it as an accident but everyone knew. Mr. Ketton had finally killed her.

I couldn't imagine what happened to Lindsay when those two were alone. She used to be a happy girl. Very pretty. Cheerleader type. But she lost that quickly. She would show up at school with bruises and cuts. I didn't want to think about what he did to her. And she never said anything to anyone. Everyone just figured Mr. Ketton had substituted daughter for mother.